Meet Wimbledon champion of 2020

THE excitements and ultimate disappointment of the narrow defeat by Sweden in the recent Davis Cup tie in Birmingham have once again underlined Britain's lack of strength in depth at international level.

THE excitements and ultimate disappointment of the narrow defeat by Sweden in the recent Davis Cup tie in Birmingham have once again underlined Britain's lack of strength in depth at international level.

Now a 10-year-old Warwickshire boy has become the latest in a string of promising youngsters recruited onto a prestigious national squad designed to reverse the country's ailing tennis fortunes during the next decade.

Despite his diminutive stature, Cameron Malik from Shipston-on-Stour was spotted as an outstanding talent aged seven and drafted into a junior county tennis squad, where he stood out thanks to his natural ball-skills, dedication and willingness to experiment with his technique.

Last summer, he won the Warwickshire Under-10 championship in aggressive style.

Now after a long selection process which began 18 months ago with three regional training camps and progressed via a National Roadshow to a final assessment at Bisham Abbey, Cameron has just been picked for the National Futures Programme.

He is the only Warwickshire boy of his age-group selected and the youngster cried with delight when he heard that he had been accepted and admits it was a dream come true.

"I''m really thrilled to be given this opportunity," he said, "and I know that I now have to work really hard to become the best I possibly can."

He joins a group of around 25 boys, considered the most promising in Britain and he is being fast tracked thanks to regular squad sessions at Bisham Abbey, fitness training with Shipston coach Tony Staley, group coaching at the county centre in Birmingham and training with his individual coach Richard Marklow at the Esporta Warwickshire Rackets and Health Club in Coventry which has awarded him a scholar-ship covering his subscription and free use of the courts.

The Coventry-based commercial software firm Exasoft Ltd has also given him a grant towards the enormous amounts which his family spend on his travelling and tournament play each year.

"We're on a tight budget and it's a huge commitment," said his mother Julie, who has three part-time jobs to fund his tennis.

"With two older children, Jemma and Karl who are also very active and living right out in the sticks, we cover hundreds of miles a week driving Cam to his coaching sessions every night of the week and tournaments all over Britain.

"The travelling alone costs over #5,000 a year, rackets are astronomical and each tournament entry is around #20 so we're hoping to find one or two local sponsors to help Cam realise his dream of becoming a tennis champion.

"The LTA have definitely picked Cameron for his potential" said his coach Richard Marklow, the Esporta club's tennis director, who has also trained a string of top Midlands youngsters including Ben Archer-Clowes and Mark Tanner.

"He moves well and hits the ball very fluent-ly but best of all he's enthusiastic with a terrific work ethic and good parental support.

"Unlike many kids who will revert to a pat-ball game to win matches in tournaments, he's also prepared to keep following his game plan and playing an attacking all-court game in competitions, so if he keeps working hard and progressing at his current rate over the next five years, I'm convinced he can go a long way."